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Dover officials apologize to NASCAR fans for long lines

Thousands of NASCAR race fans were forced to wait in long lines to get into their seats in the grandstands Sunday prior to the start of the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway.

DOVER, Del. — Thousands of NASCAR race fans were forced to wait in long lines to get into their seats in the grandstands before the start of Sunday's FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway.

Dover officials said in a release that the delays were caused by increased security.

"We pride ourselves on creating a welcoming fan experience, and a key component to that is the policy we have that allows fans to bring in bags and coolers with their own food and drink," said Michael Tatoian, executive vice president and COO of Dover Motorsports, Inc. "As a result, we must thoroughly examine the content of bags, and unfortunately that took longer than anticipated.

"There is no sport that is more American than NASCAR, and we have measures in place to ensure that our fans are able to enjoy the events in the safest manner possible."

Tatoian went on to apologize for the delays and thanked the race fans for their support of the speedway.

Contributing: Martin Frank

Finney and Frank write for The (Wilmington, Del.) News Journal, a Gannett property